‘Supergirl’ Casts Justice Leak As Villain Hellgrammite

DC comic book villains have a long history of harnessing the power of fear. The Scarecrow will literally dose you with it, Cheetah can transform into a terrifying beast trained to kill, and Amanda Waller can manipulate any fear to her own advantage (to name just a few). Some are human, many are not, and though they take varied forms the essence is strikingly similar: they are made to creep you out.

CBS’ upcoming DC series Supergirl, which stars Melissa Benoist as Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, seems to be continuing the comic book tradition of terrifying creatures with supernatural abilities, and we can now reveal one of the villains that Kara will face in her fledgling weeks as a superhero.

EW reports that Justice Leak (Powers) has landed the role of Hellgrammite, a villain with insect-like superpowers, who first showed up in the 1968 comic The Brave and the Bold as Roderick Rose. An entomologist who subjects himself to a series of genetic mutation experiments, Roderick develops superhuman abilities that closely resemble a grasshopper-like insect (thus, Hellgrammite). He possesses super-strength and super-charged leaping abilities, is capable of weaving a cocoon prison around someone, and can transform enemies into a weaker version of himself in larvae form.

This will be Leak’s third foray into TV adaptations of a comic book, having played a small role on The Walking Dead and a series regular role as Kutter on Powers. There is no word as to whether or not this will be a one time guest spot, or if he will be a recurring foe. Kara Zor-El already has her work cut out for her, as it has already been reported that she will be going up against super-villain Reactron early in season one.

While there is never any guarantee for what comic elements will transfer to television shows, the possibility for an Arrow crossover is ripe. In the comics Hellgrammite has gone head to head with both Green Arrow as well as Black Canary, and this could be a neat way to tie the two shows together.

Regardless of show integration, it will be interesting to see how Hellgrammite is rendered on Supergirl. Though perhaps not as flashy or impressive as some of the more memorable DC villains we’ve seen to date, a giant insect is certainly enough to inspire fear – and a serious case of the icks.